Breaking Benjamin

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Breaking Benjamin:
The popular alt-metal band Breaking Benjamin has developed a cult following since their inception in 2001. They shook up the world of rock with hit albums like Phobia and Dear Agony, and have played tour dates to millions of screaming fans.

Ben Brunley briefly started Breaking Benjamin in 1998, but restarted the band in 2000 with a different lineup (except for original guitarist, Aaron Fink). After releasing a hugely successful, self-titled EP in 2001, Breaking Benjamin released Saturate in 2001. The album reached #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and featured the hit single, "Polyamorous". Breaking Benjamin released We Are Not Alone in 2004 and the album went platinum a year later, with the single "So Cold" reached the top of the singles charts. The release of the album was followed by a nasty fallout with original drummer Jeremy Hummel, but also led to some high profile tour dates for Breaking Benjamin.

Breaking Benjamin reached the next plateau of their success upon the release of Phobia in 2006. The platinum album was supported by the hit single, "The Diary of Jane", as well as a plethora of tour dates in the US. Breaking Benjamin only plays tour dates in the United States due to Brunley's intense fear of flying; just one of his many phobias that inspired the album. Breaking Benjamin continued their successful streak with the release of Dear Agony in 2009. The album debuted on the charts at #4 and sold 134,000 in its first week.

In 2010, Breaking Benjamin went on hiatus due to complications of Brunley's Wernicke's ecncephalopathy. The disease is caused by Brunley's alcoholic past and effects his memory and muscle function, greatly affecting his performance on tour dates. This was followed by a dispute between Brunley and Fink and Mark Klepaski over a "Greatest Hits" album of which Brunley did not approve. While the album, Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin met with success upon its release in 2013, Fink and Klepaski were both fired from the band, with Chad Szeliga leaving shortly after.

The next year, Burnley had reformed the band with Jasen Rauch, Keith Wallen, Aaron Bruch, and Shaun Foist. The move proved to be a genius one. The new lineup's debut effort, Dark Before Dawn, quickly shot to the top of Billboard's rock charts, and has become the most successful album by Burnley, to date.